About Navasota Blues Alley

About Us

Navasota Blues Alley: For those shopping for the soul within. Eclectic, Endearing and Excellent. And let’s not forget educational. Navasota Blues Alley is downtown Navasota’s flagship of cultural experience. While offering a free blues museum in the heart of an historic downtown, the store offers an impressive variety of quality, authentic souvenirs of the Brazos Valley: Primitive antique furniture, vintage music, restored radios, and the finest in locally produced jewelry, fine art, hand thrown pottery, and hand-crafted furniture. We also offer an excellent selection of collector’s coins and many other collectibles.

Navasota Blues Alley

Navasota Blues Alley is a beautiful store where the Old South shares ground with the American West, in a rich cultural blend that can only be found in Texas. Multiple cultures met here in Navasota and forged a unique look and sound. Scottish, German, Hispanic and African peoples each brought traditions in art, music and craftsmanship that can still be seen today. The Texas State Legislature named Navasota as the official “Blues Capital of Texas” and the memory of Mance Lipscomb, Navasota’s famed bluesman, permeates the showroom. Museum exhibits throughout the store celebrate Navasota’s deep music heritage. Serious collectors of Texana frequent this bastion of Southwestern material culture, where they usually find early Texas hand-thrown stoneware, Native Americana, early Texas handmade furniture, and Cowboy and Sporting collectibles.

Serious Collectors Of Texana

The philosophy of the store is simple: Only real stuff. Very little plastic, besides vintage beer signs, antique records and collectible vinyl LP’s. No pretentious, brand new-made to look old junk from third world countries, no resin castings, and no fakes. No trendy, mass produced merchandise purchased at some Dallas market, anticipating what shoppers are looking for. Our customers are tired of commercial contrivances with no soul, imported to flood the future garage sales of America. They appreciate the standards that have always guided consumers: Quality, Scarcity, and Classic appeal.

Quality, Scarcity, And Classic Appeal

Navasota Blues Alley was founded by Texas painter and sculptor Russell Cushman, who shows some of his art in the shop. Cushman is also a local historian, and has created the blues museum here to educate tourists and locals alike about the blues history of the area. Visitors come from all over the world to visit the graves and hangouts of Navasota music legends like Mance Lipscomb, Blind Willie Johnson, Texas Alexander, Jerry Jericho and Joe Tex, and this museum brings those legends to life.

Texas Painter And Sculptor Russell Cushman

We buy our merchandise and align with vendors with these three guiding values, and feature handmade things with soul, that speak of Texan craftsmanship and heritage; Real things that tell stories. Here is where you can find icons of Texas lifestyle and history that will hold their value. Shoppers groove to their melodies as they survey vestiges of the culture that produced them. It’s a store, a museum, an instant primer on Brazos Valley culture, and even a live music venue occasionally, and has become an essential stop for anyone locally, or that passes through the region. There is no place like it!

Navasota Painters

These artists expressed their blues Soul in their paintings.

Russell Cushman

Russell Cushman

PAINTER

This mural Has Been the brainchild of All Russell Cushman of Navasota. Russell wished to perform some fitting tribute to both Navasota’s notable musicians, and hired local artists to aid in the development of the epic mural. Russell is an area performer, historian and also a blogger, also addresses the arts and entertainment at the Brazos Valley for station ABC40 at Bryan. Russell’s works may be considered in the French Economy in downtown Navasota. He’s achieved many murals across the area and enormous sculptures also.

Frank Graham

Frank Graham

PAINTER

Frank Graham is a student at Sam Houston State University and Can Be He had been the Primary helper with this project, Cleaning, priming and under-painting the face. He also painted A number of the musicians around the wall, such as Lightnin’ Hopkins and also Thomas Shaw.

Leon Collins

Leon Collins

PAINTER

Leon Collins could possibly be among the most prosperous artists in Texas now, selling tens of thousands of paintings within the last couple of decades. Leon painted the enormous high-contrast picture of Texas Alexander. This is the very first time for him to operate on a mural, however, he accommodated to the new sort of paint along with the colossal format. Leon’s work could be found and bought in several places around Navasota, such as Tejas Antiques.

Blues & History Museum

As you stroll inside our building, you will find a Blues & History Museum among thousands of vintage records. Featuring local famed songster, Mance Lipscomb and other area blues greats. Local Navasota history, including information about Frank Hamer, Navasota’s city marshal at age 24 and later the Texas Ranger that tracked & killed Bonnie & Clyde. You can also view numerous displays and artifacts. The museum is FREE of charge!

Navasota Blues History

Learn about the infamous history of Navasota Alley.

Film still from "A Well Spent Life", a 1984 documentary about Texas songster Mance Lipscomb by Les Blank to be featured at the Wisconsin Film Festival March 29-April 1, 2001.
UW-Madison News & Public Affairs 608/262-0067
Photo by: courtesy Wisconsin Film Festival
Date: 1/01 File#: photo provided

Historic downtown Navasota is registered to the National Register of Historic Places, along with many Victorian & Gothic style homes. Be sure to visit many beautiful and historic places to on your tour of Navasota Alley.